Saints' Tyler Shough Surprisingly Predicted To Lose QB Competition

The New Orleans Saints will hold a good old-fashioned quarterback competition in training camp with rookie Tyler Shough going up against second-year man Spencer Rattler.

Despite Shough being regarded as the favorite to win the job, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton predicted on Friday that Rattler’s experience and resilience will give him the edge.

"Because the Saints hired offensive-minded head coach Kellen Moore, and the team selected Tyler Shough in the second round of the draft, many believe he's the favorite to win the job," Moton wrote.

"Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener are holdovers from the previous coaching regime. However, keep in mind that Rattler has more playing experience than Shough going back to their college years. On the collegiate level, Rattler started for a year-and-a-half at Oklahoma and then started two full terms at South Carolina. Due to injuries, Shough only started one full collegiate campaign at Louisville. As a rookie, Rattler started six games last year. Although the Saints went 0-6 in those contests, five against playoff teams, he had some bright moments despite playing without wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed for most of those outings and without Alvin Kamara in the last three weeks of the season."

"As a fill-in starter, Rattler nearly led the Saints to an upset victory over the Washington Commanders," Moton continued. "Rattler threw for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions with a 57 percent completion rate. His 2024 passing numbers aren't good enough to give him the upper hand in this competition, but when you consider the circumstances in his starts, he has the potential to perform at an optimal level with a healthy supporting cast. Even though Shough spent six years in college, he may need time to grasp the speed of the pro game. Rattler was the primary backup over Haener last season. He'll stay ahead of him on the depth chart and beat out Shough for a second chance to showcase his talent in a starting role."

Is Moton's prediction too bold? It's notable that Rattler has more NFL experience than Shough and already has familiarity with some of the Saints' wideouts.

That being said, Shough will likely give Rattler all he can handle in training camp, and an upset in this QB battle would legitimately surprise the league.

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